Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerView of the Assembly chamber at the Statehouse in January. A bill restoring $7.5 million for family planning clinics was approved by the Assembly Budget Committee this morning.

TRENTON — Despite its bleak chances for enactment, a bill restoring $7.5 million for family planning clinics was approved by the Assembly Budget Committee this morning.

Gov. Chris Christie and most Republicans have opposed restoring the money, and the governor has vetoed the bill in prior sessions.

Christie said he made the cut in 2010 to save money, suggesting there were other general health centers available to serve low-income people. But pro-abortion rights supporters have sharply questioned whether his anti-abortion rights stance influenced the decision. Many of the clinics are run by Planned Parenthood, a target of conservatives' criticism.

“For the last two years, women and low-income families have been the sacrificial lambs of the Governor’s budget priorities,” said Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer). “These health centers provide critical, life-saving services to those who would otherwise not have access to them. This is a worthy investment that saves money in the long-run through preventative care.”

The money cannot be used for abortions, Coleman added.

The bill (A3204) dedicates $7.45 million for clinics that provide health screenings and birth control counseling services. The bill also directs the administration to apply for a Medicaid program that would expand health services to women making slightly more money than eligibility allows. The state would have to spend $1 million but would obtain $9 million in federal reimbursement.

Clinic operator have said since the funding was eliminated, six centers have closed, a dozen others have reduced their hours, and collectively they have treated 26,000 fewer patients.